


This gift is worth six

by Airri



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Gen, Tucker and Wash being bros, Wash is Jewish, mushy Christmas stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 05:43:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2840132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airri/pseuds/Airri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas is hard for Tucker. Wash helps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This gift is worth six

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Secret Santa for the-keeper-of-the-key on Tumblr. Merry Christmas, friend!

Tucker has not liked Christmas for a long time. It makes him think about the home he hasn’t seen in what feels like forever, the little family he has left, _Junior_. At this point, most of the guys from Blood Gulch have learnt to leave him alone this time of year (even Caboose, who somehow always leaves him a drawing as a present).

Washington is not someone who does this. He’s not as put off by Tucker’s abrasive attitude. Maybe because he’s used to being on the receiving end of it. Either way, he’s left slightly confused and intrigued by Tucker’s closing off from his friends. So, he does what he’s learnt to do best. Observe and take notes.

It starts off small. Tucker gets snappier in conversations, his body language incorporates more folded arms and hunched shoulders (and Tucker’s already a little short, it’s funny to see). Next comes anger, marching out of conversations all together, and loud complaining. Nothing too unusual, but it’s much more intense now. And then, he starts avoiding coming out at all, any attempts to coax him out for anything more that the bathroom or food failing spectacularly.

Wash knows only parts of the story. Of a weird alien thing that left Tucker with a kid somewhere in space. And of course, they all have families and homes… it’s hard around this time of year.

What’s not hard is sneaking into Tucker’s room while he’s getting food. Wash was a Freelancer after all. When he hears the thud of the door shut, he emerges from his hiding spot, and he swears, Tucker nearly jumps out of his skin.

“Jesus! Wash don’t _do_ that! Scared me half to death…” he says, shaking his head. “…You can go now”.

Washington just folds his arms, refusing to move. “I’m not going anywhere, Tucker”. He sighs. “You’re avoiding us”.

Tucker avoids looking at him. “…So?”

“So… It’s Christmas”. He watches as Tucker visibly tenses. Yep. Hit the nail right on the head there. He sighs, and takes a seat on Tucker’s bed.

Washington just. Stares at his hands. “…It’s hard. I get it. Maybe not all of it, but most of it. Out here, away from home and family… it almost doesn’t feel like it should be Christmas”.

Tucker still isn’t looking at him. But he hasn’t said anything yet, and Wash takes that as a sign that he’s listening.

“…I’ve been there. Especially my first Christmas as a Freelancer. Well… I say Christmas. Don’t actually celebrate it. I’m Jewish. But you get the point. Holiday season. I missed home, my family… I was the awkward new guy no one wanted to associate with. But… I was lucky. A friend-“, and here he has to pause, because it’s always so hard to think of Maine, what he had become. “A friend noticed. He was there for me. We started our own little thing- he wasn’t Christian either, Buddhist, actually, and we just started a little tradition. And slowly, other Freelancers joined us, until it was a big thing, and suddenly Christmas wasn’t so hard anymore”.

Tucker has sat on the bed on the bed by now, and is clearly listening, watching Washington, his sad smile, eyes dark with the memories.

“Of course, that started to stop after a while… and then the Project fell. But the point I’m trying to make here is… well, sometimes, it’s not the family you’re born to that makes it special, but the family you make. And there’s a family out there, who worry when you do this, every year, and want to celebrate with you. It’d be a good idea to take them up on that… before they’re not there anymore”.

Tucker finlly speaks up. “Wash…”

“No”, he says softly. “I don’t want the pity, or anything. I have a second chance here with you and the others. I’m okay. But it’d make my Hanukah if you’d join us for dinner”.

He leaves after that, Tucker still sitting on his bed, surprised, but clearly thinking about it.

 

* * *

 

Dinner’s not that special. They scavenge up what they can between the two teams in the way or rations, and set up a long table (with a great deal of frustration and arguing, but they get there, in true Blood Gulch fashion). It’s rough and basic, but it’ll do, and they all squeeze in, Donut and Caboose babbling to his left, Grif and Simmons across from him, and Sarge is at the head, somehow. He doesn’t question it.

An eerie hush suddenly falls, and he hears the sounds of movement next to him. He doesn’t have to look over to know who’s there.

“Glad you could make it”.

Tucker sighs. “Shut up”. There’s a beat, and then a very soft, “…Thank you”.

Wash smiles. “Anytime”.

Sarge clears his throat, and stands.

“Before we begin, I’d like to say Grace. Now, I know that not all of us here are… well, some of us don’t usually do this”, and his eyes fall specifically on Wash, who smiles, and nods in appreciation. “So I’ll make this quick”.

The Grace is short and sweet, and he even asks Wash to say a quick prayer in Hebrew (which he does, a little embarrassed, but grateful all the same), and they’re quickly eating, and chaos resumes, as it should.

Glancing over at Tucker, seeing him bicker with Grif, with a secret smile, Washington can only think that this year, his gift is that they’re together, somewhat safe, and relatively happy.

Plus Tucker smiling is always something that warms his heart.


End file.
